My partner and I are both positive and we want a child. My CD4 count around 800 and viral load 7000, so does his. Will the child get infected if both of us are positive?

Response from Dr. Luzuriaga

Your infection and overall status are the important factors in determing the risk of transmission to your baby. The most important predictor of transmission risk is maternal viral load at delivery -- the higher the viral load, the greater the risk (although women can transmit at any viral load). Antiretroviral therapy is highly protective, even in women with low viral loads. So, most experts recommend maternal treatment to get viral load as low as possible during pregenancy and to protect the baby against the risk of transmission. The risk of transmission when maternal viral load is undetectable on therapy is under 1%.

I would urge you to review the many excellent resources on this web site to learn more about mother-to-child transmission and how to minimize the risk of transmitting the virus to your baby. The "Guidelines for the Use of Antiretrovirall Therapy During Pregnancy" is a particularly helpful summary (available on this web site in the Treatment section). You should then discuss your options with your care provider. Good luck!

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